Heart and Soul
by snowtigress-27
Summary: After a year of friendly brewing and complicated wizard's chess, Hermione and Severus find themselves losing their hold onto sanity, and solitude. Who wouldn't lose their heart and soul under such circumstances? Please see author's note for extra details.
1. Chapter 1

**Heart and Soul**

**DISCLAIMER: **I OWN NOTHING; I JUST MESS AROUND IN J.K. ROWLING'S WORLD.

**Summary: **_After a year of friendly brewing and complicated wizard's chess, Hermione and Severus find themselves losing their hold onto sanity, and solitude. Who wouldn't lose their heart and soul under such circumstances? _

**A/N: **_In my other story, I had three thank-yous. In this one I have two. The first is debjunk. One of debjunk's stories is Time's Treasure. That was the first SS/HG story I read, and I loved it!! It got me hooked on reading as well as writing about them. My second source of inspiration is the song Heart and Soul. _

_Let's see, Severus didn't die at the end of DH, and he continued to teach potions. He is currently the deputy headmaster, second in command to Minerva. _

_Hermione studied for a year under McGonagall, and she replaced her as Transfiguration Teacher. She has been teaching for a year, and she often helps Snape brew. In that time, both have come to consider each other friends, and perhaps a little bit more.  
_

**Chapter One**

Hermione finished cleaning her room just as her watch began to beep. Hurriedly, she glanced down at her wrist and groaned. He wouldn't be very happy if she was late, again. She brushed off her hands and raced out the door into her sitting room. She was almost to the door when she realized she was wearing a fading t-shirt and torn jeans. Running back to her room, she grabbed a forest green robe and threw it over her dirty clothes on her way down the stairs.

Hermione burst around a corner only to stand nose to nose with Severus Snape, himself.

"OH! Severus!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"Running late are we?" He smirked.

"Um, slightly," Hermione said with a smile.

"Um is not a word, Hermione," Severus rebuked while forcing down his laughter.

"Oh really?" she answered with mock surprise, "Why then, do the majority of the teenage population use it so frequently in their daily conversations?"

"I don't know," He said sarcastically, "You tell me considering you're a teenager."

"Not for long," she scowled.

"When do you turn again? Next week sometime?" Snape asked.

"The 19th," Hermione nodded.

"That's right, your golden birthday was last year," his brow furrowed at some memory, "Not much of a golden day."

"I wouldn't say so," Hermione grinned at the memory, "Having to do that pre-newt test with students was not what I had in mind,"

"Especially the part where you almost got run through with a horn," this time, far away from any students, Severus did laugh.

"Definitely not," Hermione laughed with him just as the reached the doors to his quarters.

"Dumbledore," Snape said, and the doors swung open.

"Right then. What are we brewing today?" Hermione asked, making her way to the private lab to her right.

"Finishing up that wolfs bane potion," Severus answered briskly as he started the fire beneath the cauldron.

"Ouch," Hermione winced, "I don't think we'll have time to play today,"

"Of course we'll have time," he waved his hand idly, "Since when have we not had time to play?"

"Your choice," Hermione shrugged then added, "Don't forget we have that staff meeting at four."

"Right, so we have approximately two hours," Snape said decisively.

"Sounds good," she said.

Severus nodded, and began to work on the potion. Now, that she didn't have to worry about being seen without her robe by students or other teachers, Hermione quickly slipped out of the robe. Severus had already deposited his on a chair, and she added hers to the pile.

An hour later, they finally paused for a break. Both brushed their hair back from their face and got a drink from the kitchen.

Looking with longing at the complex game board and pieces on the living room floor, Severus said, "Please Granger?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but she plopped down at her end of the board.

"YES!"

"Just remember, we have to go back to that potion in forty-five minutes," Hermione reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah," Severus snorted, "Last time we played, we left off in the middle of your turn."

"Alright," Hermione said with a wicked glint in her eyes, "Perhaps today you will finally be destroyed."

"Right," he scoffed, "You haven't been able to win in the past week,"

"Neither have you," Hermione teased, "And don't forget, I barely lost our last."

"What makes you think today will be any different?" Severus asked with a sneer plastered on his face.

"You're already in check," She smiled, and the game resumed.

Last year they had found that it was nearly impossible for either to win at wizard's chess, due to the intelligence of them both. It didn't take long for them to devise a much more complicated version. It was more of a role-playing game, and it required much more strategic ability. Instead of taking months to finish, this version only took a few weeks.

"You are such a cheater!" Hermione shouted through her tears of mirth.

"Whatever!" Severus yelled back despite the laughter that made it hard to speak.

"Yes you are!" She claimed.

"Well, I certainly don't think so," He informed her.

"Of course you don't."

Severus grinned evilly at her, "Of course."

"You are SO dead," Hermione warned.

Severus just laughed uproariously at that.

"Don't think I won't," Hermione cautioned.

"Try me," Severus said.

He pulled out his wand, and conjured two rapiers. One he handed to Hermione and the other he twirled expertly. Hermione raised her eyebrows, but didn't say anything. Severus stood stock still and waited for her to make the first move. After a moment, she lunged toward him, but her attack was parried. After several minutes of vigorous sword-play, Severus had gained the upper-hand and was about to overtake her, when a small beeping sound came from her watch.

"The potion!" They cried together.

They sprinted for the lab whipping their wands out as they went. Hermione reached the door first, and quickly doused the flames at precisely the right moment, saving them from a fatal explosion. Severus let out a relieved sigh, and glanced up to meet Hermione's eyes.

"Now that was a close one!" He stated as his thank you.

"A mite bit close," Hermione muttered.

"Come on let's finish this up," Severus suggested.

For the third time that afternoon Hermione's wristwatch buzzed. Hermione looked at the clock; it was five minutes to four.

"We're going to be late," Severus growled.

"McGonagall's going to kill us!" Hermione said somewhat anxious.

"Here," Severus stopped her at the door, "Don't forget your robe."

"Thanks," Hermione said.

She pulled her arms through while Severus did the same. They sped up the stairs in an effort to reach the headmistress's office on time. Students turned to stare. Snape running was a very rare sight.

"There goes my reputation thanks to you," Severus hissed at Hermione as they raced along.

"Your satisfaction guaranteed or your money back," she replied in a singsong voice.

"You won't be so cheeky once I'm through with you, Granger!" He warned.

"Is that a challenge I hear?" Hermione remarked.

"I was aiming towards a threat, actually" Severus corrected.

"You must be losing your touch, Professor," Hermione teased, "I was not intimidated in the least."

"You should have been," he said as he attempted to look down his nose at her.

Hermione bust out laughing, "Once again, I fail to see how you could possibly be frightening."

"Oh really?"

Severus then grabbed her wrist, and swung her almost into the wall. At the last minute though, he pulled her back, sending her colliding with his hand, that kept her head from slamming into the opposite wall. His wand was already pulled, and at her throat.

"Is that not terrifying?" Severus whispered in her ear.

Hermione looked up into his face. Her breathing hitched as their eyes locked. He had a sly smile on his face that sent chills up her spine. She didn't understand what was happening. Surely it must be the adrenalin from his attack.

"Yes," she breathed.

"Good," Snape said triumphantly as he straightened.

"But it was not as scary as you doing yoga," Hermione added quickly.

Severus glared at her just as they reached the door to Minerva's office.

"This is not over," Snape said in a low voice, "Not by far."

"We shall see," Hermione tittered, and pushed open the doors.

"Late, again I see," Minerva commented dryly, "Really, you too are perhaps the most time-senseless people I've yet to meet,"

"Sorry Profes… um, Minerva," Hermione apologized, "We were brewing again,"

"As if that were the problem," She retorted, "If you brewed half as much as you bickered, the entire world would never be short on supplies,"

"Excuse me Minerva," Severus interrupted, "But we prefer the word debate,"

McGonagall merely rolled her eyes, and went back to her earlier discussions. Hermione grinned at Snape. A small upward twitch of his lips showed her that had they been alone, a smile would have been given in return.

**A/N **_If any of you who read this have not read my story The Beauty and the Beast Effect, I should probably let you know that this won't be continued for a while. I'm waiting until I finish BBE before I start on something else. I was just asking my reviewers to vote between this story and another of which one they would like me to do first.. If you'd like to vote as well, the other story is called A Second Chance, and is a SS/OC story. _

_Let me know what you think! I'm looking forward to the reviews! ;-) Ha-ha!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Heart and Soul**

**DISCLAIMER: **I OWN NOTHING. I JUST MESS AROUND IN J.K. ROWLING'S WORLD. SONG LYRICS ARE PROPERTY OF FRANK LOESSER.

**A/N: **_All right, so, I'm officially starting this story, and I hope to finish by the end of the summer, but we'll have to see. I'm notorious for not keeping up steady updates.  
__Just as a interesting fact, I'm posting this one the year anniversary of my first ever fanfic, The Beauty and The Beast Effect. To celebrate this "historic" moment, I'm posting a little one-shot you might be interested in reading. It's called Typical, and it will be up some time before tonight.  
This chapter takes place a few days after the first one. It's pretty short: a bit of fluff and an assignment from the headmistress. Enjoy everybody!!  
_%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Hermione sat in Severus' living room just like she did almost every afternoon after classes were over. She held a pencil and sketch book in her hands as she carefully drew a mother holding her infant child. She couldn't quite get the facial expression right though.

"It's looking good," Severus complimented from above her.

Hermione turned her head and scowled. "You shouldn't look at it until it's finished. Then you would actually have something to compliment."

"You're the one who comes in here to draw," he retorted. "Unless I am mistaken, you have your own rooms you could go to."

Hermione pulled a face, "They're so dreadfully yellow that I get zero inspiration in that place."

"You're a witch for heaven's sake!" Snape threw up his hands. "Use your wand, woman!"

"Don't call me woman," Hermione snapped. "It's highly disrespectful."

"A person who can't even use her wand doesn't deserve respect," he sneered, but his eyes betrayed the laughter he could barely contain.

"Oh, I can't use my wand can I?" She raised her eyebrows, suddenly in the mood for a duel.

He guessed by her expression what she was thinking and immediately warned, "Hermione, don't you dare. The last time we had a duel, you set practically the whole school on fire."

"I set the school on fire?" Hermione asked incredulously. "I do believe, my dear Severus, that it was _you,_ not I, who burned half the school."

Snape paused for a moment to think. "It was me, wasn't it?"

Hermione nodded and gave him a look that said, _Aren't I always right?_

"Still," he continued. "We had best not do it again."

"I'll promise not to start a fire, if you will too," Hermione suggested.

Reluctantly, Severus pulled his wand from his pocket. "I certainly won't be starting a fire."

"It's a deal then." Hermione waved her wand a little.

"A duel as well, apparently," Severus said dryly.

"Apparently," Hermione agreed with a grin and shot her first spell silently.

Severus dodged it expertly, throwing a spell in her direction as she went. She swiftly sidestepped the jinx and sent five spells soaring through the air. Having avoided the spells, Severus was about to send off a few of his own when the door to his quarters opened.

"Good grief, you two!" Minerva shouted in an exasperated tone. "Don't you ever stop fighting?"

"We weren't fighting," Severus growled.

"Not exactly anyway," Hermione added and slipped her wand back into her pocket.

"Pray tell what were you doing then?" Minerva asked and looked from Hermione to Severus and back again.

"We were merely improving our talents," Hermione answered. "By way of a friendly duel."

Severus couldn't keep the grin from surfacing, nor did he feel the inclination to stop. Something about dueling with Hermione always gave him this rush that simply refused to fade. In fact, he frequently felt that way merely when he was around her. Her bubbling personality was infectious. What was he talking about? She was a foolish Know-It-All, and she had no effect on him whatsoever. Well, maybe a slight effect.

"Well, I hate to put a stop to your so called 'talent show', but I came with an assignment for Severus," Minerva said halfway between amusement and annoyance.

"Give it to me then," he said, waving his hand frivolously in a manner quite unlike himself.

Minerva raised her eyebrows at the gesture but continued on. "There is a teacher's conference this coming Saturday evening. As you know, that is the same Saturday that I have a meeting with the Minister of Magic. I need you to take my place at the meeting."

Severus' face fell, and his smile turned into his classic scowl. "Minerva, you know how I hate those meetings. They're full of bumbling buffoons, and they always insist on having one of those ridiculous balls."

"Please, Severus," Minerva asked laying a hand on his arm. "I'm asking this not only as your employer but as your friend."

"Minerva…" he seemed to slouch down. "Don't make me do this."

"He'll do it," Hermione said shooting a smirk at Severus. "I'll ensure that he goes."

Minerva let out a relieved sigh and smiled gratefully at Hermione. "Thank you Hermione. He sure has been easier to deal with since you came along."

"What!" Severus cried in protest. "Minerva! Hermione, I swear, you're in for it!!"

"I know," she said in a light voice ignoring the threat, knowing he would never hurt her.

"I'll leave you two to your talent show," Minerva said and swept out of the room.

Severus immediately turned to face Hermione, a cutting glare on his face. Hermione winced as she thought of the saying, _if looks could kill…_

"Severus, don't worry it isn't as bad as you think," she said softly, trying her hardest to look sweet and innocent.

"Oh, isn't it?" he said, his voice dangerously low. "And how would you know? You've never even been to one of these things! What would you know about it?!!"

He continued on, cursing and yelling at Hermione, steadily getting closer to her, his dark eyes boring into hers all the while. She shouted right back at him, telling him that he needed the social practice and that he was too hard on people. In the end, they were standing scarcely two centimeters from one another, breathing heavily after their shouting match. Heat radiated in the tiny space between them as their pulses quickened. On impulse, Severus leaned in to kiss her, surprising the both of them.

It took Hermione only half a second before her hand was ensnared in his long dark hair. She pressed against him as his arms wrapped around her waist, anchoring her to him. After only a moment, the clock struck the hour, and they sprung apart.

Hermione looked down as her cheeks colored heavily. What had she been thinking? She was still dating Ron after all. She tried to fill her thoughts up with him, but the memory of Severus' lips against her refused to fade.

Severus turned his back on her, mentally slapping himself. He knew full well that she was in a relationship. He was crazy if he thought she would ever leave Weasley to be with him. On the other hand, she had kissed him back, and he was embarrassed to even think it, but she was a good kisser.

"Um…" she said rather nervously. "What just happened?"

"I don't really know," he answered in an equally nervous voice. "I… I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me but…"

"It's all right," Hermione said hurriedly and blushed even more. "You… uh… you just surprised me. That's all."

She turned to go, but at the last minute, Severus reached out a hand to stop her. "Hermione, wait!" He paused and took a deep breath. "I would appreciate if you went with me to the conference. Not as a date or anything, but you're such a people-person, and I'm such a…"

"Antisocialist?" she offered.

"Yeah," he replied and looked away, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"I was planning on going anyway," Hermione said. "Someone has to make sure you actually show up."

She laughed, and he let a smile crack his stony face, and the awkward moment passed. The rest of the afternoon passed in a normal fashion: a little chess playing, brewing, and as always, lots of bickering. As Hermione left that evening though, she stopped in the doorway and threw a shy smile back at Severus.

"By the way, Severus, you're a one heck of a kisser."

He turned in shock at her words, but by that time she had already left. He gazed at the empty doorway for a minute, contemplating what she said. At last he smiled and even laughed a little. Who would ever have thought a woman would appreciate his kissing, let alone Hermione Granger?

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Hermione returned to her own, despairingly yellow quarters, while humming a tune her parents sang to her as a child. The words slipped her mind, but as she sank down onto her satin covered bed and thought of Severus' kiss, a phrase came to her mind.

_Oh, but your lips were thrilling, much too thrilling. Never before were mine so strangely willing. _

She smiled to think of just how true those words really were.

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Severus sat alone in his bedroom, thinking of the events that had transpired that afternoon. As his thoughts once again moved to Hermione's lips on his own, words to a song crossed his mind.

_But now I see, what one embrace can do. Look at me, it's got me loving you madly, that little kiss you stole held all my heart and soul. _

Funny how life worked he thought. He had never much believed in love or happy endings, Lily Evans aside. With just one kiss though, he felt himself falling hard and fast. The song kept cycling through his head that night, and as he went to sleep, he smiled at his last thought: it had been he who stole the kiss, not Hermione, yet it felt as if it were she who had taken his heart.

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**A/N **_So, what did you think for the second chapter? Good? Bad? Leave a review and let me know. The next chapter will probably feature the conference, and Ron will actually enter the story. Also a huge thanks to debjunk for beta-ing this chapter. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Heart and Soul**

**DISCLAIMER: **I OWN NOTHING; I JUST MESS AROUND IN J.K. ROWLING'S WORLD.

**A/N: **_Welcome to the third chapter of Heart and Soul. Today's agenda includes a fake date, a long-put-off breakup, and of course, a kiss, of all things. I think we all know what that means… Anyway, I hope you like the chapter. As always reviews are very appreciated, let me tell you!  
__Also, I was going to write a chapter about her twentieth birthday (as mentioned in Chap. One,) but then I changed my mind, so I'm going to entirely skip that part! :-)  
I'm horribly sorry for the slow update. There was a slight mix up with computers at my house, and I was on vaction. At least it is here now, though. Dig in!  
_%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Hermione glared at her reflection in the mirror and ran a hand through her curly mane. Even now that she was older, her hair still refused to do as asked on occasion. Tonight happened to be one such occasion. She had tried to curl it nicely down her back, but even with the help of magic it went into a crazy mess of frizz. She tried braids and buns, straightening and wigs, but in the end, she pulled it into a plain and simple ponytail. She sighed and turned away from the mirror. It would have to be good enough, and after all, it was only a teacher's conference.

Hermione then had the daunting decision of what dress to wear and what robes to wear overtop. As far as dresses went, she had three that would be appropriate for the dinner and the dance that followed. If she wanted, she could wear the sleek black one to match the ever constant black attire of Severus, or she could wear the shimmering purple dress that was by far the fanciest of the three. However, she decided to wear the dark blue dress that fell softly to the floor. She had just pulled her arms through the sleeves of her robes when a knock startled her. As a result of her ridiculously high heels and the flailing robes, she tripped in her haste to answer the door.

"Come in," she moaned from her place on the floor. She tried to stand, but her ankle crumpled under her weight. She reached into the pocket of her robes, hoping to find her wand and heal herself, only to find it empty. To her chagrin, she realized that she had left it on the bathroom sink.

"Are you all right, Herms?" Ron asked stupidly as he entered her living room to see her sprawled out on the floor.

"Does it look like I'm all right?" Hermione growled angrily. "And don't call me Herms!"

"Sorry… uh, I'll just go get Madame Pomfrey then," he said and left the room once more.

Groaning with the effort, she managed to pull herself up onto the couch just as Severus entered the room. He took two seconds to assess what had happened before he burst out laughing.

"Don't tell me you tripped _again_?" he said through his bouts of laughter.

"I was in a hurry!" she said indignantly. "You would fall too, if you had to wear floor length dresses and high heels."

"No one ever said woman had to wear such dangerous apparel, they simply choose to out of vanity and more prominently, stupidity," he scorned.

"If my ankle weren't the size of a watermelon, I swear I would kill you right now, Snape," Hermione said murderously.

Severus grinned evilly and said, "You know I was about to heal you… then you threatened me. Now I think I'll just leave you there to die."

Hermione's eyes flashed, and she got up on her feet despite the shooting pain in her foot. She narrowed her eyes and stared him down as best she could. He took a single step back, and she couldn't help but smirk.

Still glaring she said in a falsely sweet voice, "Please heal my ankle now, Severus."

As her eyes bored into his, he found that not a single stinging remark entered his brain. He merely stood in front of her, returning her glare. The moment reminded him of the week before when he had kissed her, and at the memory he had the urge to kiss her yet again. It beat against him furiously, and he took a step towards her before he caught himself. Her boyfriend would be here in a matter of minutes, and Severus would never put her in such a situation as that.

"Sit down," he finally said, trying unsuccessfully to coat his voice with malice.

She complied with a gleeful smile, "Ha! I win!"

Severus could think of several things to say or do to continue their battle of wits and words, therefore proving Hermione wrong, but he still found his thoughts focusing more on her soft, brown eyes and equally soft lips. He feared that if he opened his mouth, it would be to praise her beauty rather than to give a snide reply.

Hermione watched him with a befuddled expression as he proceeded to heal her rather than take her bait and continue on with their playful banter. That was unusual in and of itself, but when he had finished he stood without saying a single word and left the room, undoubtedly going to her personal library. She shook her head, thoroughly puzzled. He was acting quite unlike himself lately.

"Poppy said that I could heal it myself if I asked you the spell," Ron said, interrupting her thoughts.

Hermione turned around as she spoke, 'That's all right. Severus already took care of it."

"Severus, as in that slimy git of a professor, Snape?" Ron sneered.

"Mr. Weasley," Snape drawled from the doorway to Hermione's study and library, "I never knew you were as fond as me as that."

Ron turned to the side to face the smirking man, a mixture of anger, hate and pure horror spreading across his face.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded in what he hoped was a commanding voice, although Hermione had to cover a fit of giggles; he sounded like a little church mouse.

"I was just looking through Hermione's bookshelves for the new title she recently acquired. Unfortunately though, it seems she has misplaced it."

"Oh, it's in my room in the invisible drawer. You know, the one I keep my journal and best jewelry in," Hermione said immediately. When she spoke again, her voice was filled with rapture, "Oh, it was one of the best ones I've read. The potions in there are extraordinary, and the stories are amazing too!"

"Really?" he asked conversationally, about to ask more, but the look on Ron's face persuaded him otherwise. "I'll go get that now."

As soon as Severus was gone, Ron turned back to Hermione, a wide smile on his face, "So, do you want to go out tonight?"

"How many times do I have to tell you! Would you please call beforehand?" she said, trying to keep her voice calm.

Ron didn't hear the exasperated undertone in her voice or else he would have had the common sense not to say precisely what he said next. "Well, I figure you're never doing anything else. I mean you're not exactly what I would call a 'social butterfly.' And you always tell me when you have something planned."

"Do I?" she asked, the anger now clear. "Well, let me tell you, Ronald, I am a successful young woman, and I am tired of you treating me like I don't have a social life outside of you!! Well, guess what? I have a job, and colleagues who need me to do things, and friends, and I have Sev-several offers from men to go out with them!!" She paused, and her face flushed half with rage and half with embarrassment. She had almost said that she had Severus. She continued on, no longer shouting, but this time in an icy cold tone. "And you know what else? Sometimes girls don't tell their boyfriends every single thing they're doing, but every other girl, besides me apparently, has a boyfriend who actually thinks to call ahead of time." By this time her face was no longer red, but she was breathing heavily, and her eyes still held boiling fury.

Ron was silent for a moment, but then he made one of the worst mistakes possible, and said the exact wrong thing. "Well, yeah, I understand that. But you aren't doing anything tonight, right?"

Hermione leapt to her feet, and her fingers were clenched in a fist. She was about to wind up her arm and sock it to him right then and there, but luckily for Ron, Severus spoke up before she could do anything.

"You know," he said dryly, "if I were her, I would probably punch you right about now." His eyes flicked to hers, and she smiled minutely. She never thought that Snape of all people would stop her from hitting Ron, but by his words and tone, she knew he was telling her not to in his own way.

"I probably would, but because you said that, it ruins the mood," she replied. He inclined his head slightly, accepting her round about thank you.

"Why, in Merlin's name, do you have her shoes?" Ron asked Severus accusingly, completely missing the silent yet, not-so-silent exchange.

Hermione glanced down at Severus' hand, where he was indeed holding a pair of shoes. The heels were slightly thicker than and also not quite as tall as the ones she was wearing currently. She smiled inwardly at his small way of taking care of her.

"So, she doesn't fall to her death in those killer heels." His lips twitched upward at his slight pun.

"And," Hermione put in, taking a perfect opportunity to rub everything in Ron's face. "I happen to be going to a dinner-slash-dance with Severus."

"You cannot be serious!' he cried and glared daggers at his 'competition'.

"Oh, but I am," Hermione assured him. "You see, I would rather go on date with him over you any day!"

Ron gaped at her, and opened his mouth repeatedly only to close it at the loss of words. Severus and Hermione let him continue on like that for another moment just to watch his complete idiocy.

"Weasley," Snape said with a hint of pity in his harsh voice. "Shut your mouth, and stop imitating a fish. I believe that Hermione just gave you your cue to go."

And go he did with much huffing and grumbling about wasted money and time, as well as greasy gits, and crazy know-it-alls.

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"Do you see now why I hate these conferences?" Severus asked as they left the large auditorium where various presenters had brought up ideas of improvement to the current education system for young witches and wizards. "They're so pointless, and nothing ever gets done. The ideas are always ill-presented, and half of them were probably thought up by lunatics from the valley of swirly-twirly gumdrops!"

Hermione laughed and swatted his arm, "Oh, lighten up! At least they made the effort! And look on the bright side, at least they're feeding us a banquet afterwards, and dances are always fun if you have a partner. Not to mention if it weren't for this conference, I'd still be stuck going out with Ron. Speaking of which, I wonder where he was going to take me tonight."

"I think I know," Severus said and pointed a little ways ahead of them in line for the food. There standing out amongst a sea of black, brown, and blonde hair was a shock of red that could only mean a Weasley.

Hermione cursed under her breath, and Severus raised his eyebrows; he had never heard her swear before. "He's probably here for his job. They send an Auror to these kinds of things for protection, and it must be his turn," she explained, although Severus had already come to this same conclusion.

He watched her carefully over the next few minutes as her face grew increasingly flushed with anger, and her mutterings became more and more dark. He then turned his glance towards Weasley. Ron looked horrible. His face was arranged in a sullen scowl, and his robes were horribly mussed. Severus sighed inwardly. Over the past two years, he had come to care for Hermione very much. In fact, though he hated to admit, he might very well be falling in love with her. Now, at what might prove to be his only chance, he was giving it all up in an attempt to bring her back together with Ron.

"Hermione," he said quietly, not wanting others around them to hear. "It's not too late you know. He cares for you a great deal, that much is still very clear. If you went to him now and worked things out, you could still be together. Who knows, maybe he'll change with a little more time."

Hermione smiled sadly up at him before answering, "I appreciate your concern, Severus, but… I've wasted my life waiting for him to change. He never has, and I know now he never will."

Severus' brow furrowed. "But I thought you loved him?"

"Not anymore. I did at one time, but he never was capable of reciprocating the love I gave to him," she replied sounding a little worn out, but then a genuine smile lit her face. "He's always had the emotional range of a teaspoon, you know."

Severus' eyes lit up, and the corner of his lips twitched. He could barely keep the laughter from surfacing. As he slowly calmed, he admired Hermione's strength. As much as she acted not to care, it was clear she was still hurt.

"Oh, Merlin, he's looking at us!" Hermione moaned and hurriedly grasped Severus' hand in hers. "Quick, say something to make me laugh."

He said the first thing that came to mind, "Ron is a half-wit."

She did indeed laugh, and though it sounded real enough, Severus could hear a catch in her throat. He was surprised at how tense she seemed. Her hand was practically killing his circulation.

"Calm down, Granger," he said, trying to sound amused to hide his worry. "And what exactly are you doing crushing my hand like that?"

"Pretending you're my boyfriend," she responded hastily and then she gasped. "That's it, Severus!!! I am going to ask a favor of you. I know you won't want to do it, but will you please be flirtatious and act like my boyfriend?"

"What?" he cried, but his thoughts were going a mile a minute. _Is it possible she returned his feelings? Of course not, she simply wants revenge on Weasley. But what if she had another motive? Cut it out, _he told himself. _Just agree and enjoy an evening pretending she might actually like you._ "I don't even know how," he complained.

"Then I'll teach you," she said desperately. "And I'll grade your papers for you for a month."

"Make it two," Severus demanded.

"Done," she said, and the relief in her voice was as plain as day.

"Start your teaching."

"Right, well," she paused, thinking. "First off, you actually have to smile, and give the occasional laugh. However, you can't laugh too much, or someone will know we're faking." He nodded as Hermione stopped to think of some more. "Oh, and sarcasm. You can still use it but _sparingly_."

He glared at her as he said, "You sound like a health-nut talking about meat."

"Why, thank you!" she said sweetly before continuing with her boyfriend lessons. "Minerva tells me that you always pull out her chair for dinners at these meetings, so that's good. I don't have to teach you how to be a gentleman."

"Oh, please, Hermione," he grumbled. "Give me some credit, will you?"

Hermione smiled but otherwise ignored him. "You have to make me laugh, but that's not hard, you do it at Hogwarts all the time. Just be yourself. Well, not the you who's cold and snaky. Be the you that you are around me normally."

Severus coughed to hide his surprise. So, she had noticed he was different around her? Well, it probably wasn't too hard to pick up on, but it still gave him a very strange feeling in his chest.

"And you should probably hold my hand too," Hermione added, for she had let go several minutes ago.

Severus scowled, but only to hide the nervous twisting of his gut. Though he was somewhat reluctant, he did as she asked and clasped her hand tentatively. As soon as their skin touched, his entire being felt on fire.

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Hermione nearly gasped aloud as he took her hand, it was like a thousand needles gently pricked her back. Tingles ran up her arms, and her heart skipped a beat. It took a minute before she was again able to form a coherent thought.

"No, not like that," she reprimanded. "Like this." She then intertwined her fingers with his. It was amazing how well they fit together. It felt so right that Hermione couldn't help but wonder if things were meant to be this way. She shook her head as if to clear it and issued out yet another instruction, "Now smile."

He complied, and she simply beamed. He was actually smiling in public, and because of her none the less. Severus glanced down at their interlocking fingers. He couldn't believe she would actually hold hands with a man like him. His smile grew wider at the thought. It might just be an act, but for this one night. He was the happiest man alive.

"See, now," Hermione said pleasantly. "That wasn't so hard was it? And look, we've manage to carry this conversation all the way to the table. Just think, Severus, all you have to do is survive through dinner and the dance, and then you're home free."

"I think I can manage," he said laughingly. "If it were anyone but you, I might die before the night's end. At least you can carry on an intelligent conversation."

She laughed and sat down as Severus pulled out a chair for her. He pushed her in, and as he did so, his cheek was so close that she couldn't help but kiss it. She mentally slapped herself for doing so, but she assured herself that everything would be all right as long as she acted like everything she did tonight was because of their fake date and not because she was falling head over heals for him.

"I'm just spicing things up a bit," she said in answer to the quizzical eyebrow he raised.

"I see." Severus nodded, and pretended like it was nothing. All throughout dinner though, his cheek burned with a strange yet pleasant sensation where her lips had pressed softly against his skin. Silently, he cursed himself for agreeing to such a bargain. He didn't know if he could last the rest of the evening with Hermione pulling little stunts like that. With each passing minute, he was finding it harder to keep his true feelings to himself. Little did he know, Hermione was struggling in much the same predicament.

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Dinner came and went without much consequence. Severus continued to play his part magnificently, much to Hermione's delight. Of course, what she didn't realize was that his acting was more reality than anything else. He let himself loose and actually enjoyed himself. It was crazy just how easy she came to him. He knew precisely what to say to make her laugh and smile, and in return, she always did the perfect things to set Severus off in quiet chuckles.

The dance rolled around to find Hermione fighting with herself. Part of her missed Ron and wished he were sitting beside her right now while another part told herself that she deserved better than that, but the very strongest part of her was flying ten miles off the ground because Severus Snape was calmly sitting mere millimeters away _and_ holding her hand on top of that!

"Looks like he just can't stay away," Severus murmured, leaning in close to Hermione, making her tremble.

She glanced up, and sure enough, there was Ron headed straight for them. She cursed his dreadful timing. She had been enjoying herself with Severus' breath blowing like a gentle breeze across her neck.

"I wish he would," she replied with a touch of irritation, but it faded when she saw a grin on Severus' lips. Get a grip girl! She told herself. By the end of tonight she would probably be kissing him if she didn't take control herself.

"I was wondering if I could have a word with you, Hermione," Ron said, although his voice was taut with nerves, and he was barely understandable. "In private."

Severus leaned even closer to Hermione, so Ron wouldn't hear him. "I've never heard him sound so formal."

"Oh, hush," she reproached, and smacked him playfully.

Hermione stood and followed Ron behind a great stone pillar where they stood in the shadows. She looked at him steadily, never wavering. Ron, however, found he couldn't look at her. His eyes were drawn to the floor where he preceded to count the scuff marks.

"Spit it out, Ron," Hermione said rather coldly. "I haven't got a lot of time to spare."

"Are you actually going out with Snape?" he said in a rush.

She continued to watch him, and once again anger rose up inside her. "Who I choose to date or not date is my choice, and frankly, as my ex-boyfriend, it's none of your business!"

Ron felt himself blush ever so slightly, but he continued on. "Maybe not, but as your best friend you would think I have a right to know. Or am I just your ex-best friend now too?"

At his words, Hermione felt herself melt, and she raised a hand to his chin. She tilted his head up, so she could look into his eyes. "Oh, Ron," she said softly. "Of course not. You and Harry will always, _always _be my best friends. We three have been through so much. How could you think I would just throw away our friendship?"

Ron smiled widely as he hugged her warmly. "Sorry, I've been such a prat."

Hermione returned his embrace, but she wasn't yet ready to accept his apology. Not to his face anyway. She stepped away from him, gave him one last smile and headed back to Severus, the man she now knew was meant for her.

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Severus and Hermione walked slowly up to the castle still holding hands, despite having left the conference long ago. As they approached the doors, Severus loosened his grip, giving Hermione the chance to drop his hand if she wished. To his elation, she merely ignored this and continued walking. Even once in the castle, she kept her fingers tightly entwined with his.

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She watched him all the way to her quarters trying to gauge his reaction. As usual, his face remained impassive. She noted that his eyes seemed brighter, happier. She brushed it off, telling herself she imagined it.

Severus stopped just outside Hermione's rooms, waiting for her to say something. However, she was content to remain silently looking up at him, a smile playing at her lips.

Finally he gave in and spoke first. "Thanks for coming with me tonight. It wasn't the nightmare it could have been."

She grinned and giggled a little, but it was short-lived. Her stomach knotted itself, and her tongue felt swollen and useless. She was worried that Severus would feel the sweating of her hand.

"Would you say we're still on our date?" Hermione asked, trying to act nonchalant.

"The mean, Potions professor would say no, because we were never actually on a date," he said and smiled when her face fell. Apparently, she wanted to be on a date with him. He continued, "The cold, sarcastic, Severus Snape would say no as well because we're back at Hogwarts." He paused for dramatic effect. "However, the Potion brewing, chess playing Severus would say yes, because I'm still walking you home. Why do you ask?"

"Well…" she stopped, worried that her words would not be taken well by Severus. A look of concern mixed with curiosity flooded his face, and she decided to go on. "Well, when a girl goes on a date, a lot of the time she needs a good night kiss."

His face softened, and he took a step towards her. They were almost touching now. "Hermione," he murmured almost inaudibly "I…I'm no good at this."

She laughed, sounding for all the world like a sweet little bell. "Severus, I thought I told you this last week. You are plenty good."

"That was just on impulse, a reaction," Severus countered. "This… this is different. I've never been good at the whole, 'You turn your head that way, and I'll turn mine this way. I'll lean in close, and you'll close your—"

He was interrupted by Hermione's lips pressing against his for a single second. He looked down into her chocolate-brown eyes, a pleasant kind of shock spreading through his body.

"You were forgetting," she said quietly, "that a kiss has no set rules. We have to make our own." And so saying, she reached up to snake her arms around his neck while his wrapped around her waist. She touched her lips to his in a tender kiss, so unlike the one they had previously shared. He pulled away all too soon and caressed her cheek gently.

"Goodnight, Granger," Severus whispered in his silky voice, sending chills up her spine.

"Goodnight," Hermione replied and stepped through her door.

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Hermione slumped to the ground, a blinding smile spreading across her face. Her mind was all in a tizzy, and her heart was fluttering. Of one thing she was absolutely sure. She was in love with Severus Snape, heart and soul.

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**A/N **_Holy Moses, that was a long chapter. I wonder if I'm moving things along too fast. What do you guys think? I guess since this is purely for my own entertainment, it doesn't really matter. Hugs and kisses to debjunk for being a great beta!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Heart and Soul**

**DISCLAIMER: **I OWN NOTHING; I JUST MESS AROUND IN J.K. ROWLING'S WORLD.

**A/N: **_Today's chapter starts the morning after the last chapter but ends five days later. Things don't always work out perfectly, but they do work out. And that is the lesson of the day! :-) Enjoy! _

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Hermione woke up the next morning feeling as light as air. The memory of her date with Severus sent her heart racing. She dressed quickly, wanting nothing more than to tell Minerva about everything and then run to spend the day with Severus. Despite her excitement, she took her time walking to McGonagall's office. She let her thoughts roam, although they only traveled as far as Severus.

Hermione reached the Headmistress' office and was about to knock on the door when she heard voices coming from within.

"Minerva," Severus' voice was troubled and upset. "I can't tell her about Lily. I don't want to do it. Mouthy Potter told everyone anyway."

"Severus, you have to tell her," Minerva said sternly but with motherly compassion. "She may already know, but she deserves to hear it from you."

Severus sighed, and Hermione could just picture him running a hand through his long hair. "I don't want to hurt her."

Hermione strained her ears for more, but Minerva's voice was so quiet she couldn't catch anything. Her nerves were on edge, and her heart felt like it was ready to rip apart. By the sound of things, it was almost as if Severus was still in love with Lily. Her heart plummeted as she heard Severus' reply.

"But I love her."

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Hermione threw herself on her bed as soon as she returned to her quarters. Tears streamed down her face, and her breaths were short and erratic. She was so stupid! Severus must have been acting all along. She cursed herself for ever letting her feelings be known. He must have realized she was in love with him and now was trying to find the right way to let her know his heart lay with someone else, someone who was everything she wasn't: smart beyond belief, funny, and most of all, beautiful. Why, oh, why, had she let herself fall so hard?

A soft knock on Hermione's door interrupted her dismal thoughts and brought her back to the present.

"Hermione," Severus called, oblivious to her unhappiness. "Are we still going to brew today?"

Hermione took a deep breath to steady herself. She wiped away her tears as she calmly answered, "Actually, I can't. I have a date." She was glad he couldn't see her otherwise he would know right off she wasn't telling the truth.

"You're… you're going on a date?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice from showing the hurt he felt.

"Yeah, his name is Carter Dennison," Hermione lied. "I met him Friday at the Three Broomsticks."

"Oh," Severus said, his tone flat and disappointed.

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Severus sat down hard on his sitting room couch later that day. He couldn't help but picture Hermione off on her date with Carter. He just didn't understand. One night she was kissing him and the next she was off on a date with some moron. Maybe Hermione had been pretending last night. Maybe she felt nothing for him at all. It wasn't as if he was such a catch. His hair was often greasy, and he wore nothing but black. He was cold and distant most of the time, and he was also a murderer. Was it such a shock that she didn't care for him? Why in the world had he let himself fall so hard?

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"Minerva?" Hermione tentatively knocked on McGonagall's door.

"Come on in, Hermione," Minerva said and smiled at her former pupil as she entered the room. "I'm glad you've come. I wanted to—"

"I'm sorry, but I really can't talk right now," Hermione said in a rush. "I just came to ask permission to go home for a few days. I need to talk with my mother face to face."

Minerva surveyed her for a moment, trying to determine what could be troubling her young friend. "Well, I suppose you could."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Hermione cried launching herself at the older woman, hugging her tightly. "I'll come back soon. Oh, and could you not tell anyone where I've gone? I'll set up a duplicate of myself that is terribly sick. It won't be difficult."

Before McGonagall could so much as ask why she wished for secrecy, Hermione was out the door. She looked towards where, a moment a go, the bushy-haired woman had stood, wondering if this had anything to do with Severus. She sincerely hoped not. Things had been going so nicely between the two. Her dearest wish was to see her two closest companions together and maybe even wed. However by the looks of things, Minerva wasn't sure her wish would occur anytime soon.

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Hermione walked up the sidewalk towards her home. She could see her mother kneeling near a few enormous pumpkins, and her father was just entering the house. She nearly cried at the sight of them. Things always looked a little better when they were near.

"Mum," she called, smiling as Victoria Granger lifted up her head.

"Hermione!" the older woman cried as she held out her arms.

Hermione clung tightly to her mother, taking in the earthy smell that always surrounded her. Whenever Hermione could smell that, she knew she was home.

"But sweetheart," Victoria said worriedly. "I thought you weren't coming home until Christmas."

Hermione shook her head and pulled away. She took a deep breath that caught in her throat. Tears threatened to spill over her brown eyes as she said quietly, "I need to tell you about something. Well, about someone. Someone who broke my heart today."

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Severus looked out over the crowded Great Hall, hoping beyond hope to see Hermione's head of hair roaming amongst the students. He hadn't seen her at meals nor anywhere else in the whole bloody school for the past four days. It was as if she had simply been wiped out of existence. Minerva was tight lipped and refused to say anything on the matter, aside from that Hermione was horribly sick.

Severus had seen the supposed Hermione lying on her sickbed, but he was not as easily fooled as everyone else. Upon searching her memories, he found the duplicate couldn't remember half the things Hermione should have been able to. He had discovered this two days after her disappearance and had since been searching for any sort of clue as to her whereabouts. Today he was determined to find her.

"Severus, why the long face, my friend?" Minerva asked while laying a soft hand on his arm.

"I do not appreciate being lied to, Minerva," he answered coldly. He shrugged off her hand and continued scanning the room once again, even though he knew she would not be there.

"I am merely acting on the whims of another," she replied, not wanting to lie to him further.

"Whose? Hermione's?" Severus asked angrily. What reason did she have not to trust him? He had been a friend and so much more to her. Why would she, all of a sudden, turn her back on him now?

Minerva sighed quietly, "Severus, I'm not supposed to tell you this, but yes. Hermione wished for no one, aside from me, to know where she is."

He grunted and rose from his seat. If Minerva wouldn't tell him where she was, he would find her on his own.

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Hermione laughed as her parents' stared in amazement at the new and improved pumpkins. She had cast a simple charm, and now the vegetables were three times their original size. By Halloween, they would likely be the size of a carriage.

"Well, I've certainly never seen a pumpkin grow so fast," Dan said. His voice clearly showed how impressed he was.

"Imagine how fun it will be for little girls dressed up as princesses to ride in a pumpkin carriage come Halloween," Victoria said with delight.

"They'll die of happiness." Hermione laughed again. Oh, to be young and full of dreams of wishes-come-true and happily-ever-afters.

"It's getting a bit chilly out. Why don't we go back in?" Dan suggested. In agreement, the two women walked towards the door.

All three stopped as a popping sound preceded the appearance of Severus Snape. Hermione glared at him with barely controlled rage, and he glared right back with a mixture of anger and relief at finding her safe and well.

"Mum, Dad," Hermione began, "This is Severus Snape. Severus, these are my parents, Daniel and Victoria Granger."

"It's a pleasure," Severus responded, but his eyes never left Hermione's.

"Yes, yes," Victoria said, noting the tension between the two. "Come along, Dan. Let's see about making some lunch."

Hermione waited until her parent's were in the house before rounding on Severus. "What in the blazes are you doing here?"

"Bringing you a healing potion that you obviously don't need," he growled in a quiet but intimidating voice.

"That's right! I don't need it, and I don't need you either!" she yelled back. "You have no business poking around and invading my home life. You have no right to be here, invading my privacy."

"You give up the right to privacy when you pull a stunt like this," he said in a raised voice. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? How worried all of us were? For two days I thought you were so sick you might die, and then I find out that's not you!! I had no idea where you were or what had happened to you! For all I knew, you could have been killed by someone!!"

"Well, I wasn't," Hermione said in an irate voice, trying to hide the sudden warmth in her heart. She never imagined he would be worried about her well being.

"Hermione," Victoria said as she opened the front door. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah," Hermione answered with a shrug. "I'm fine."

"Severus do you mind stepping in and helping Dan with lunch?" Something in Victoria's voice left no room for argument. Severus gave one quick nod before entering the house.

Once he was gone, Hermione sat down on the garden bench and let her pent up emotions come out. Her shoulders shook with sobs, and tears fell down her cheeks in little streams. Victoria enveloped her in a motherly embrace, softly rubbing her back while crooning in her ear.

"I don't know what to think," Hermione wailed. "One minute he seems to return my feelings and the next…"

"From what you've told me, it sure seems like he loves you. After all, he did kiss you twice," she pointed out.

"The first time was an accident, and the second time, I kissed him," Hermione said through a tight throat.

Victoria snorted, and smiled at her daughter. "Honey, there's no such thing as an accidental kiss. Maybe he didn't mean for it to happen then and there, but he meant for it to happen soon. Trust me."

Hermione returned her smile with a weak one of her own. Maybe she was right, but probably not.

"It couldn't hurt to ask, in any case." Victoria patted Hermione's back and left her staring off into space. Hermione took courage from her mother's gentle pat. Victoria seemed confident that things would work out with a bit of effort and time. She simply had to follow after her mother and faith. A task easier said than done.

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Severus waited patiently as Victoria sat with Hermione and let her cry her heart out. When they were finished talking he pulled off his cloak and went towards the door. She might just push him away, but he could at least try to make peace. He draped his cloak around her shoulders as he sat down next to her.

Hermione pulled it tighter around her, muttering quietly, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Severus answered. "I shouldn't have yelled at you earlier. I never meant to upset you." He paused to ready himself for his next words. "SoI guess I'm trying to say I'm sorry. So sorry, in fact, that I would do anything to make it up to you."

"Anything?" she asked, a faint ghost of a smile tugging at her lips.

"Anything that is within my power," Severus promised solemnly before his face split with a wide smile. "And anything that is not utterly ridiculous."

"Would it be so ridiculous to think that you still loved Lily?" She asked, going out on a limb.

Severus leaned away from her in surprise. Was this what it was all about? Was she worried that she would never be good enough to compete with Lily? oh was she in for a surprise. He smiled and grasped her head between his hands.

"Yes, it would be very ridiculous. She has long since faded from my mind. And after all, how could I love Lily, when I have you?"

Severus leaned down to kiss her fervently as an extra assurance of his words. As she wrapped his arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, he took it to mean he had been forgiven. _All was well_.

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**A/N **_Another chapter down! I have yet to decide between two or three more chapters. Either way it's almost done! Just as a reminder I will be starting on my SS/OC story after this, _A Second Chance. _I will also be working on my sequel to BBE.  
__Oh, and at the beginning of this chapter, I mentioned the chapter would end five days later, yet in the chapter itself, she was missing for four days. She didn't go missing the day after the date. She went missing the following day.  
This chapter would be not be half as good without my beta, debjunk.  
__Anyway, review!!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Heart and Soul**

**DISCLAIMER: **I OWN NOTHING; I JUST MESS AROUND IN J.K. ROWLING'S WORLD.

**A/N: **_Howdy y'all. Today is loaded down with fluff, fluff, fluff, and what do you know, more fluff! I hope you all like it!  
I've had this done for a while, but I started school, and with that comes homework and extra activities. _

_For those of you who would care to look, I found a picture right after I wrote the first Chap. and it totally fit. I'm posting the link on my profile. It's part way down under the link section._

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Hermione knocked three times before the door opened. Severus stood in the doorway, his long hair tousled, and his black button up shirt wet. He led her into the kitchen, explaining that a pipe had burst in his bathroom, but that everything was all right now.

Hermione gasped when she entered the kitchen. On the table, there were long skinny candles burning in their holders. Two plates were piled high with delicious looking food, and a dozen roses sat on the chair that Hermione customarily sat in.

"Oh, Severus!" she cried happily, turning to kiss his cheek. "It's absolutely wonderful!"

"I know," he said simply. "That why it's for you."

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Despite Severus' many complaints, Hermione stood calmly at the sink washing the dishes by hand, with the grumpy Potions master at her side. Once, she chanced a glance over at him to find his surly face glaring at her. She laughed and kissed him tenderly. As she had hoped, his cold exterior melted, and a smile graced his lips. She even heard him humming a little as he dried the plates off. Recognizing the tune, she began singing along.

"Heart and soul, I fell love with you. Heart and Soul, just like a fool would do madly. Because you held me tight." Hermione's angelic voice rang out, surprising Severus with its clarity. But it wasn't the voice he noticed the most. It was the words that brought something forward in his mind

He thought of the warmth in his heart that he hadn't felt for years. He had no qualms admitting he was in love, to himself anyway. He had yet to tell her such, but he needed to tell her, wanted to tell her.

"Severus?" Hermione asked worriedly. She noted the slight furrow in his brow and the far away look on his face.

"Hermione," Severus said suddenly, sounding very serious. "I've fallen in love with you. I think I've seen it coming for a long time, but it wasn't until I first kissed you that I knew for sure. Ever since I did, my heart has belonged to you entirely, beyond a shadow of a doubt. And... and I wonder if you could ever feel the same for me?"

Hermione almost laughed, but the emotions shining in Severus' dark eyes persuaded her otherwise. She glided towards him raising a hand to his cheek.

"I should think that was obvious, Severus," Hermione whispered as if divulging a secret. "I love you too."

She leaned up on her toes, bringing her lips to his in the most gentle kiss she had ever shared before pulling away to lose herself in those black orbs filled with love for _her_. He smiled, slipping his arms around her waist. He leaned down for another kiss, this time a deeper more passionate one.

"Granger," he murmured and smiled into her lips. "Can we skip dishes and play chess now?"

Hermione pushed him away and rolled her eyes. "Only if you want to lose."

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"I never should have let you take that knight," Severus grumbled as Hermione cried out with glee.

"I _so_ just beat you at chess!!" She yelled triumphantly. "Now you will bow to your new master!"

Severus snorted and threw a handful of popcorn at her. "Go fall down a well."

"Is wittle Sevie-poo upset?" Hermione asked with amusement lighting her brown eyes.

"You should not have said that, Granger," Severus said in a deadly voice, but his lips quirked in a suppressed smile that didn't match the malice in his voice.

"But, I did. And do tell, what _are_ you going to do about it?" The question was laced with a hint of flirtation.

"I haven't decided whether I'm going to throw you out or kiss you," he said in an offhanded tone, clearly trying to hide his inclination to follow through with the latter.

"If you care to hear my advice," Hermione started, "I would suggest you kiss me."

"I probably would, but Minerva decided to drop in without knocking," Severus commented, noticing for the first time that his wards had been taken down.

Hermione whipped around to see a rather pink-faced McGonagall walk into the room. She stared resolutely ahead and only her coloring gave away the fact that she had indeed been eavesdropping.

"Why, Minerva! I never knew you were capable of such Slytherin acts," Hermione teased.

"Hmmph," was all she said in return.

"Now what could you possibly want this time?" Severus asked, rather put-out. He wanted very much to take Hermione in his arms and kiss her, but he outright refused to do so with company.

"I know you went to the last conference, but seeing as the upcoming one is on my brother's birthday, I wondered if you might fill in again," McGonagall asked, desperately hoping that his mean side wouldn't kick in just now.

Severus was about to refuse when he remembered how the last conference went. The blush of Hermione's cheeks showed that they were of a like mind. Perhaps with Hermione at his side it wouldn't be so bad. He might even get lucky enough to win another goodnight kiss when all was said and done. Maybe filling in for Minerva willingly, just once, wouldn't hurt. It might even end up for the good. Just maybe...

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**A/N **_So, what do you guys think? Like it? Hate it? Drop a review and let me know!! Also, I'm sorry that it's so short, but in compensation I'll post the next one within a week, I hope. Oh, and just so you know, the next chapter is the last one! _

_If anyone is interested, I wrote a one shot quite different from my normal style. It's entitled_ A Moment in Time_. It focuses on Harry and Ginny's early years as parents._

_I've now seen the HBP movie three times now. I must say I was quite pleased with it, although I've heard others aren't so happy with it, though. What did you guys think of it?_**  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Heart and Soul**

**DISCLAIMER: **I OWN NOTHING; I JUST MESS AROUND IN J.K. ROWLING'S WORLD.

**A/N: **_How are you all doing? I hope you've liked this story. I've had a great time writing it. This last chapter is pretty short. It was a couple scenes I had a hard time placing in the previous chapters, so I figured I could change them a bit and make them the last chapter. It takes place about two months after the previous chapter.  
Many hugs and kisses to the amazing debjunk for all her help!!!!!  
__I'm not writing a separate epilogue, however in the A/N at the end I'll have a tiny little explanation. _

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Hermione sat at her desk after the last class of the day had left. She scanned through essays, making an occasional note or correction. She had planned to grade papers only for fifteen minutes, but she'd lost track of time as she buried herself in work. Almost 45 minutes later, long slender fingers came to rest over her eyes. She felt warm breath blow against her hair and move down to her ear.

"Guess who?" a voice said mysteriously.

Hermione laughed as she tugged the hands away from her eyes. "You can change your voice, Severus, but I know your hands like my own, and you smell dizzyingly good."

His rich baritone laugh sounded out, reverberating on the stone walls. He bent down to kiss her cheek softly. As he did so, his arms came around her to trap her wrists in his hands.

"I'm afraid you've been captured, Princess," Severus said, not bothering to magically change his voice this time. "Now you're my prisoner to do with what I wish.""I was captured a long time ago, kind sir," Hermione answered playfully, flipping around in his arms so that she was facing him. "And I can assure that no escape attempts will be made. Go ahead and do what you want with me."

"I like the sound of that," he whispered in her ear. He trailed kisses down her jaw line all the way over to her other ear. "I like it a lot."

Hermione sighed, reluctantly pushing him back. "What if a student came in here right now? I can't imagine they would like seeing their professors snogging."

She side-stepped him while reaching out for the doorknob. Severus let out a low growl as he grabbed her hand, swinging her back against the wall. She trembled with anticipation, just waiting for him to claim her lips with his own. She was not disappointed.

Severus' crashed down on her lips, making her forget any objection she had previously. She let out a soft moan of pleasure. _Merlin, he's good._

"Professor?" a quiet voice asked with a mixture of nervousness and embarrassment.

Hermione's eyes opened, and she glanced down to see one of her younger students at the door. She gently pushed Severus' chest, bringing them back to the real world. Breathless, he pulled away, but only slightly. His body was still very much against her own, and he only left enough room between their faces to turn towards the girl. He glared at the blushing girl despite Hermione's reproving gaze.

"As you can see, Professor Granger is a little busy at the moment. Now go away before I take points for your intrusion. You didn't even knock," Severus said acidly. Hermione tugged at his hand, silently begging him to be nice.

"Actually, sir," the girl squeaked, "I knocked four times."

Hermione felt her face grow hot, and she slipped out from between the wall and Severus. She smiled at his irritated scowl and kissed him once, lingering as if she wanted more. She turned away though and laid a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Come on then, Cynthia," Hermione said kindly. "Let's see what I can do for you."

Severus rightly took this as his cue to go. Hermione rested a hand on his arm as he grabbed the door handle. He smirked as she mouthed, '_Later_.'

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Severus stretched out on the couch with one arm slung over Hermione's stomach grasping her hand in his. He gently stroked her hair with one hand, not paying any mind to the Muggle movie that was playing in front of him. Hermione had conked out barely ten minutes into the film. Her breathing was slow and even, and he could feel the steady beating of her heart. He didn't dare move for fear of waking her. She was so peaceful, so still... so beautiful.

Severus let out a soft sigh of contentment. He felt happier now than he had at any other time in his life.. Almost two months had passed, and still Hermione loved him unceasingly. By agreement, they were keeping their relationship strictly friendly around the students and most teachers. It was hard on them, but those stolen moments in-between classes or in the early morning and evening, though few and far between, were everything they lived for.

He supposed that with the girl having caught them kissing in Hermione's office, things would change now. Their relationship would go public, and he wouldn't have to hide anymore, neither of them would.

As Severus felt waves of drowsiness wash over him, he knew it wouldn't be long before sleep overtook him. He knew he should probably move Hermione to her quarters or at least let her take his bed. However, the effort needed seemed too great, and his want to do so too little. And so, he fell asleep with his arms wrapped around the woman he loved, and his heart was content as could be.

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**A/N **_So, that's the end! :-) Just as a side not that I mentioned above, Severus and Hermione do end up married. He proposes just before school gets out for summer, and though most of the students aren't overly excited, many of them attend the wedding that next December. They continue teaching, and when Minerva retires, Severus becomes the headmaster. _

_Thanks once again for your support!!! I love you guys, even those of who are only readers rather than reviewers. I'm hoping to see all of you soon, when I start my other two stories!_


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